![]() “We’re miraculously debt-free, and we paid for our kids’ tuition in cash,” D’Antonio says. The couple had both of them take out small loans so they’d have the impetus to succeed in the classroom and find jobs after graduation. It wasn’t a short-term program, but Kozak convinced them that it would serve the D’Antonios’ college needs, their day-today lives and their retirement planning.īoth of their children graduated in four years from Catholic University, a private institution in Washington, D.C. Now, they were saving by deciding what was absolutely necessary and what wasn’t. Before, they didn’t think about it too often. One of the biggest changes the couple made: assessing every expense they might incur. They also paid off the entire balance every month. They got rid of all but one credit card, which they used to purchase everything they needed and take advantage of cash-back opportunities. They did refinance their mortgage “several times,” taking advantage of lower rates to lower payments and gain capital to put toward college expenses. Given that, they expected to incur some debt to pay for college. They didn’t have a mountain of savings, and they were living almost paycheck to paycheck. With help from Kozak’s firm, the D’Antonios were able to put something together late in the game. “Those are fabulous schools, but there are other schools out there that can offer people as much as they can.” “I say to parents that they shouldn’t worry about their children going to Harvard, Yale, Princeton or Penn,” says Sciaky, who started AP&G in 2011 and is the widow of Philly radio legend Ed Sciaky. Plan well, manage your finances carefully, save assiduously and find a landing spot that allows for maximum financial assistance during a four-year stay, and you can get your kids through college without significant pain.īut it requires plenty of planning, intelligent choices and an ability to steer clear of the status-symbol game. There are about 4,000 colleges and universities in the U.S., and their prices vary widely. Its enrollment is about 8,600, and its acceptance rate is just under 6 percent. The good news is that not everyone is going to Princeton. In 2021-22, a student attending Princeton University will pay $77,690, all in. In 1978, the average private institution set parents back the current equivalent of $17,680. According to CNBC, it rose more than 25 percent from 2009 to 2019. ![]() “A lot of people now come to me for consultations,” she says.įrom building supplies and homes to cars and produce, prices are going up-and cost of higher education is truly soaring. And because she’s learned so much, Becker has become something of a resource for friends. They expect the same thing when their son heads to college. ![]() Right now, they’re managing college payment obligations without taking on a mountain of debt. Meanwhile, their son-a junior at Conestoga High School-is just kicking off his search.īecker is a self-employed photographer, and her husband is a seventh-grade science teacher in the West Chester School District. This fall, their daughter will be a sophomore at McDaniel College in Maryland. Sciaky helped clarify the process for the Beckers, giving them some commonsense strategies. Becker’s search led her to Judy Sciaky, founder of Montgomery County-based AP&G College Planning. She was on her computer, searching for ways to ensure that their two children wouldn’t accrue enough debt to cripple themselves and the family. ![]() It was about 2 a.m., and SAS Becker was having one of those moments familiar to any parent facing the specter of paying for a kid’s college education. These families in the Philadelphia suburbs tackled the hard reality of financing their children’s dreams with a little help and creativity.
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